Sign holding device



Jan. 20, 1953 T. P. MOCOLL 2,625,762

SIGN HOLDING DEVICE Fil ed Jan. 3, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET l f2? ven to)";

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SIGN HOLDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 3, 1951 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 Patented Jan. 20, 1953 J. 1':

SIGN HOLDING DEVICE Thomas P. McColl, Troy, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Chas. Brown Display Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 3, 1951, Serial No. 204,186

My invention relates to sign holding devices and particularly to devices of this character which are adapted to be secured to a post such as a parking meter post.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a sign holding device which may be readily attached to a post such as a parking meter post without the necessity of removing the meter. In other words, an object of my invention is to produce a sign holding device of such design that it may be assembled around the post rather than passed over the end thereof. Another object is to provide a device of this character, adapted to hold a plurality of signs which may be readily changed from time to time as desired. A further object is to provide a sign holding device having signs which may be. readily removed with the proper tool, but which is so designed that the signs cannot easily be removed by children or others without the proper tool.

I accomplish these objects by means ofthe novel elements and the combination and arrangement thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a post showing my sign holding device secured thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of one side thereof;

Fig. 3 is a top or bottom view of the device showing the post in section;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section of the device in the plane '44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of Fig. 6 in the plane 5-5;

Fig. 6 is a section of Fig. 2 in the plane 66;

Fig. '7 is an exploded, fragmentary, perspective view of one of the bottom corners of the device;

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing one of the top sub-elements and one of the bottom sub-elements forming the top and bottom of the device; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section in a horizontal plane through the post at a point between the top and bottom elements and showing how the device may be fitted to a post smaller than that shown in Fig. 6 by using thicker shims.

Referring to the drawing, my device comprises a top element I and a bottom element 2 which, as illustrated, are triangular in shape. The top element I is formed of three identical sub-elements 3 and the bottom element is also formed of three identical sub-elements 4. Each of these sub-elements is generally triangular in shape and the top and bottom sub-elements may be said to be alike except that the sub-elements forming 4 Claims. (01. 40-145) the top element I have depending marginal flanges 5, B, 1 and 8 while each of the bottom sub-elements has upstanding marginal flanges 5', 6', l and 8, best illustrated in Fig. 8. The marginal flanges l and I are arcuate in form and extend through an arc of approximately The flanges 6 and 6 and the flanges 8 and 8 are provided with bolt holes 9 which are adapted to register with corresponding bolt holes in the next adjacent sub-element when the sub-elements are assembled around a post I0 as shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 9. The adjacent or abutting flanges of the sub-elements, when assembled about the post, are secured together by means of bolts II, as shown in Fig. 6; and, since it is desirable so to design the holder that it may be attached to posts of various diameters, the radius of the arcuate portions 1 and I of the subelements 3 and 4 is made somewhat larger than the largest post to which it may be desired to secure the holder, and the annular space between the arcuate flanges I and I and the post is filled with arcuate shims, such as shown at I2 in Figs. 3 and 6, and I3 in Fig. 9.

While each of the sub-elements 3 and 4 is generally triangular in shape these triangles are not isosceles considering the longer sides thereof as a base. It will be noted that these triangles are truncated at the corners where the sides join the base, as best shown at I4 and I5 in Fig. 8, and it will also be noted that the truncation at one of the corners, I4, is greater than the truncation at the other corner. The reason for this will be apparent as the description proceeds.

Welded or otherwise secured to each of the sub-elements and parallel to the longest flange thereon is an angle I6 having an upstanding leg I'I in slightly spaced relation to the adjacent flange on the sub-element, thus forming with said flange a narrow channel, such as shown at I8 in Fig. 5 and Fig. 7. When the sub-elements are assembled and secured together around the post as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6, the channels I8 extending along the edges of the top element are opposed to the channels I8 extending along the outer edges of the bottom element, and sides l9, which are plates adapted to receive signs, may be slid into the slots from one end thereof. These plates form the sides, and the elements 3 and 4 form the top and bottom, respectively, of a triangular prism which, at this stage, is completely enclosed and substantially weather-proof except at the vertical edges thereof.

In order completely to enclose the prism and to prevent the removal of the signs except by the use of a special tool, a nut 20 is welded to a filler piece 2|, best shown in Figs. 5 and 7, which, in turn, is welded at the corner I4 of each of the sub-elements. Embracing the adjacent edges of the sides, at and extending along the vertical edges of the holding device, are corner posts or framing elements 22 which are secured in place by means of Allen cap screws 23'cooperating with the nuts 2! From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a sign holding device which maybe readily attached to a parking meter post With out removing the meter and which when so attached will be fully enclosed.

The opposed flanges of the top and bottom" elements which extend along the outer edges thereof form top and bottom framing elements for the signs l9 while the corner posts 22 form side framing elements for the signs.

While I have illustrated and described my sign holding device as being in the form of. a tri-- angular prism, which is its preferred form, it obviously may be made in the form of other polygonal prisms.

What I claim is:

1. A sign holding device adapted for attachment to a post, such as a parking meter post; said de vice comprising similar, polygonal, top and bottom elements each comprising separate portions adapte ing said elements to be assembled around said post and provided with marginal flanges adapted to abut. when said portions are so assembled; meansfor securing the abutting flanges together toclamp said elements to, said post in vertically spaced relation to each other and form a.- closed, top and a closed bottom of said device; depending channel-forming means on each of said portions, of said top element; upstanding, channelforming means on each of said portions: 01. said,

bottomv element disposed in opposed relation to those on said top element; said channel-forming= means being open ateach end for theslidable insertion of sign-bearing panels forming the sides of a polygonal prism surrounding said post;

framing elements embracing the vertical edges of said prism, closing the ends of said channels, and having end portions overlying said top and bottom elements adjacent said edges; and meansdetachably securing said framing elements in place.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 in which the top and bottom elements are substantially triangular in shape.

3. A sign holding device comprising a polygonal prism having top and bottom elements, forming substantially weather-tight closures for the ends of said prism, each formed of a plurality of sub-elements adapting said elements to be assembled around said post; the sub-elements forming. said top and bottom elements having, within said prism, abutting-depending, and abutting-upstanding, marginal flanges, respectively; means securing the abutting flanges of each of said sub-elements together and clamping them around said posts in vertically spaced relation to each other; said top and bottom elements being provided at their outer marginal edges with depending and upstanding flanges, respectively; sign-bearing side panels forming the sides of said prism secured in place at the top and bottom by the last mentioned flanges; framing elements embracing the vertical edges of said prism and adjacent portions of saidtop and bottom elements for securing said panels in place at the sides and substantially sealing said prism along the vertical edges thereof; and.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of. this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date 218,883 Hopkins Aug. 26, 1879 477,873 Shaw June 28, 1892 1,238,976 Zika Sept. 4, 1917 2,372,387 Morin Mar. 27, 1945 2,507,875 Williams May 16, 1950 

